A cricket game
Reviews

From: sports reportCategory: LifeDate: 18 August 2005

Review

In the evening sun in Regents Park. The cricketers are serious without being overtly competitive. The game has a hobby's intricacies: terminology, equipment, middle-age malaise. The portly, the unathletic can play, why not, they know the rules. The man behind the stumps, self-satisfied like a publican, even dares to coach me as I play. Out there grassily it is more difficult than it looks on tv. Red hard ball sun setting. One regrets missing the public school years. Would have helped keep a straight bat. Love a big hit. Instead out for one and none. Hands amongst the working classes are tougher, and take a good catch to redeem one's sense of glory. The match as it must goes to the final ball. We lose because it is extremely misbowled.